City residents have properly dealt with more than 13,000 chickens and other bird livestock as part of the effort to prevent the H7N9 bird flu virus from spreading, a local health official said Monday at a press conference.

Authorities have sent volunteers to more than 14,800 households to persuade residents to dispose of their livestock, including poultry, ducks, geese and pigeons, according to the Shanghai Municipal Health Promotion Committee.

Urban management officers were dispatched to households to kill and dispose of any livestock that residents are unable or unwilling to deal with.

"We have arranged a series of campaigns in the month before the May Day holiday to curb the spread of H7N9 bird flu," said Li Zhongyan, vice director of the health promotion committee.

Authorities have also sent professional teams to disinfect more than 860 markets that had been selling livestock and more than 1,180 registered points for bird slaughter, Li said. 

The authorities also sent volunteers to stop residents from leaving garbage on the ground or spitting in the street at bus stops and famous tourist attractions to prevent the disease from spreading.